The Judge's Weakness, and other stories

Printed wraps, 12mo, 16pp. Copyright 1888 printed on p. 14, possibly 1889-1890, based on the text being found in contemporary newspapers. Illustrations signed "Courier-Journal, Eng." Pencil signature to first page dated 1890, some bleeding from wraps, contents otherwise unmarked. Very fragile, with contents mostly detached; several holes nibbled through the dampstained rear cover, obscuring the text of "Old Kentucky Home," but no other textual losses. Nearly Good. OCLC lists 7 copies of an 1895 edition (noted to have variant contents) and 1 copy of this edition at the KY Historical Society. 

A rough but remarkable survival of Reconstruction-era tobacco advertising designed to reach customers across racial lines, prioritizing profit over prejudice. The title story is described as, "A thrilling court scene that took place in a Kentucky Village. How a Negro touched the hearts of judge and jury and secured his acquittal." In short, the story ends with a judge determining that a Black man was justified in assaulting a white man who did not chew Old Kentucky. The judge interrupts the testimony: "'That's enough,' the judge exclaimed, pulling out his plug of Old Kentucky and biting off a fresh chew. 'You ought to have killed him. Go, old man, you are free.'"

“The Judge’s Weakness” appeared in newspapers across the U.S. in 1889, attributed to humorist Opie P. Read (not credited here). The newspaper version, which generically references chewing tobacco rather than “Old Kentucky,” is shorter and illustrated with stereotypical blackface characters. In contrast, the Old Kentucky version has more naturalistic illustrations—including the scene of a Black man strangling a white man.

Another shows a fireside scene of a Black couple, accompanying a story that, while told in cringey dialect and containing racial references, is a universal story-- “Steve” wonders why he chews when he knows it does him harm and takes up his money and he resolves to quit. His wife goads him, asking if he’s really strong enough; but, he becomes so irritable when trying to quit, she ultimately implores him to start again. The illustration inside the rear cover referencing sideshow "freaks" also offers a target for mockery that could be shared across racial lines.

Contents: "The Judge's Weakness," "Borrowing Trouble," "Steve Quits Chewing," "Speech" (extract from speech delivered by Harry Weissinger, at the Louisville Exposition, September 18, 1885), "Old Kentucky" (song with music), and "Meaning of State Names."